Loud bang then mini tornado ripped through estate

Graham Illigge inspects his Emerald Springs home in Mooloolaba after an internal wall 'popped out' at about the time a mini tornado hit the small pocket of the suburb. Photo: Brett Wortman / Sunshine Coast DailyBrett Wortman

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TREES crashed to the ground and plants were ripped from their roots as a mini tornado tore through a Mooloolaba housing estate early yesterday.

The destructive winds hit the Emerald Springs complex at about 120kmh, tearing plaster from one resident's bedroom wall and sending a 10m gum tree crashing onto the roof of another unit.

Chaos continued along Buderim-Mooloolaba Rd as the force cut power lines and left trees hanging across roads about 4am.

Emerald Springs site manager Samantha Lamerton said she felt her unit at the end of Poinsettia Ave shudder with the force of the tornado.

"Looking out the window, this wind just all of a sudden smashed against the house, and then we saw trees and bits of iron flying through the air," Mrs Lamerton said.

"Trees came down and fences were broken.

"It only lasted 15 seconds but the sound was just incredible.

"It was frightening."

The force of the tornado peeled plaster from Graham and Jan Illigee's bedroom wall and tore plants from their garden. Mr Illigee said he was asleep in bed when the wall fell on top of him, almost trapping him underneath.

"It gave us such a fright, I thought my number was up," Mr Illigee said. "There was this all-mighty bang and the wall fell down on top of me.

"Trees and palms were flying everywhere, the winds hit with such force it picked up a chair in the backyard and slammed into the back sliding door."

Further down the road, Drew and Glenda Campi were woken by a 10m gum tree crashing onto their roof.

"The first thing we heard was this horrific wind and then a bang," Mrs Campi said.

"We looked outside out the window and a gum tree had fallen right over our house, breaking the guttering and tearing down the awning.

"The noise was just incredible, it was like nothing I have ever heard before

"We are just so lucky the tree didn't fall through the house or come through the window."

Further up the hill, on Buderim-Mooloolaba Rd, Jason Hutchinson said he felt the tornado spin across the roof of his home.

"You could tell something was coming and then the whole house shook," Mr Hutchinson said.

"I reckon it would have ripped the roof off if it come down any lower."